Island Peak Easy Walk and Climb Trek Peak Expedition News

Climbers are on the fixed rope.

High camps going for summit

Recent news of Island Peak

Island Peak, known as Nepal's "easiest" trekking peak, was originally climbed in 1953 by Sherpas who were testing the oxygen apparatus for Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay during the first ascent of Mount Everest.It was named Island Peak because it stood alone, away from the surrounding mountains. This season our team of men and women of all ages and our trusty Sherpas climbed it on a beautiful sunny warm day with no wind and no clouds.Not only was the weather perfect, but the route was in very fine condition.

For fun, before climbing Island Peak, our team also spent several days at Ama Dablam basecamp, staying in the comfortable Mingbo Lodge. That was a wonderful way to acclimate. After climbing Island Peak, some of the team went home and others carried on to Everest Basecamp, which was a very enjoyable and beautiful way to finish this lovely excursion. What is special about Island Peak? It can be climbed in a day, and our expert leaders help you source the equipment on the spot in Kathmandu and teach you everything you need to know, so Island Peak is a perfect introduction to 6000 metre / 19,700 foot high, easy snow climbing. When combined with a walk to Everest basecamp, it allows the adventurer a sample of the best of both worlds: classic "teahouse" trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp, coupled with an exciting taste of an easy mountain, Island Peak. For more about our next Island Peak adventure, please go to www.IslandPeakExpedition.com . Thank you very much.

Sherpas and members on summit of Island Peak.

going to summit. Summit of Island Peak

Blog posts:Please click one of the links below to go directly to that blog post or just scroll down.

Emma Fitzgerald (16 year old from Australia) and Jeremiah O'Brien summit on Island Peak. PhotoJeremiah O'Brien. Sherpa and Aiden Fitzgerald on the summit of Island Peak. PhotoJeremiah O'Brien

Local growing some vegetables in their field. Photo Pia Eliason. On the way to next camp following with wonderful tea house and Dudh Koshi River. Photo Pia Eliason

The Himalayan Monal, Lophophorus impejanus also known as the Impeyan Monal or Impeyan Pheasant or Danphe is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the Danfe, and the state bird of Uttarakhand. Photo Pia Eliason. Lunch Break. Photo Pia Eliason.

Update from Jangbu Sherpa – We five member are in Chukung today. Weather is not so good. It is foggy. But all is well here. Andrew back to Lukla after Kalapather and Basecamp. We will miss him. We will keep update you. Happy New Year.

Update from Jangbu Sherpa – Yesterday we reached Gorek shep and from there we went to Basecamp. It was wonderful to fill the basecamp. Then back to Gorek Shep again. Today we Summitted Kalapather. Nice weather and good view of Everest and many other mountains. Now back to Gorek Shep again. Planning to go lower elevation for rest. Will keep update you.

Musk deer at Pangboche. Andrew at Kalapather. PhotoAndrew Leggett

28 December -

Walk to Lobuche (4900 metres/16,100 feet). All are well and fine with beautiful day.

27 December -

Walk along to the village of Dughla at 4,620 metres/15,150 feet.

26 December -

Christmas - New Year's and Island Peak Team reach Pheriche. Situated at an altitude of about 4,371 m (14,340 ft), above the Tsola River. Today is rest day for us . It is popular to take a rest day here for all the trekker and climber. There is a rudimentary hospital in Pheriche that is operated under the auspices of the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA).

Island Peak team returns safely! All of us climbed safely to summit @ 6175 m / 20,260 f. It was a challenging but gorgeous day.

Nepal Mountaineering association certificate for Sangeeta S Bahl

24 October -

Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur:

Now on summit of Island Peak @ this very moment. Weather is outstanding. The are no clouds, &no wind. We can see 100's of peaks.

Nathan, Sangeeta, Thile and Dan on the summit of Island Peak. Photo by Thile Nuru Sherpa. Rosemary, Maggie, and Sangeeta wowing the camera in front of Deboche. Photo James Barritt.

Sangeeta Sindhi enjoys the view of Island Peak while resting on the path to Island Peak basecamp. Photo by Thile Nuru Sherpa. Sangeeta shows us the view from the Island Peak summit while Nathan sends an sms - text message to his loved ones at home. Photo Thile Nuru Sherpa.

Thile Nuru Sherpa and Sangeeta Sindhi climbing the final ridge to Island Peak. Photo Dan Mazur. Nathan Christoff applies a last minute blister repair to his heel on the Island Peak headwall. Photo Dan Mazur.. Back to top

Sangeeta Sindhi climbing below crampon point on Island Peak. Photo Dan Mazur. Sangeeta and Thile Nuru Sherpa climbing the Island Peak headwall. Below we can see avalanche deposition and the Imja Tso lake. Photo Dan Mazur. Back to top

Sangeeta Sindhi has written a special message to her husband Ankur Bahl along the path to Island Peak. Sangeeta and Nathan in Island Peak high camp. Photo Dan Mazur.

Team climbing the headwall on Island Peak. Photo by Thile Nuru Sherpa. Sangeeta and Nathan enjoying a beautiful summit day on Island Peak with Mount Nuptse in the background. Photo by Thile Nuru Sherpa. Back to top

Dan, Nathan and Sangeeta roped together on the Island Peak glacier. Photo by Thile Nuru Sherpa. The Mighty south face of Lhotse seen from Chukkung. Photo by Sangeeta Sindhi.

Sangeeta walking back down to Chukkung fro Island Peak, on a sunny day. Mount Tawoche in the background. Photo by Sangeeta Sindhi. Sangeeta, Nathan, and Dan roped together whilst climbing the Island Peak glacier. Photo by Thile Nuru Sherpa.

Fixed rope dropping down the Island Peak summit ridge in centre of photo. Ama Dablam is on the left. Photo by Sangeeta Sindhi. Island Peak high camp with Imja glacier in the background. Photo Sangeeta Sindhi. Back to top

Nathan relaxes in a seat he carved from the snow in Island Peak basecamp. Photo by Sangeeta Sindhi. Thile Nuru Sherpa and Sangeeta Sindhi climbing the final pitch on the Island Peak headwall. Photo by Dan Mazur.

Trekkers enjoying a sunny stroll along the trail to Everest Basecamp. Photo by Sangeeta Sindhi. Lhotse south face at sunset. Photo Sangeeta Sindhi.

Chukkung village in the sunshine with Lhotse south face in background. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo. Kongma bird, also known as Himalayan snow cock, in Island Peak basecamp. Photo by Sangeeta Sindhi. Back to top

Autumn colours along the trail to Everest Basecamp. Photo by Sangeeta Sindhi.Andrea and Corey Fitch from the Deboche Project came to visit us at the Mingbo Lodge. It was a special day. Photo by Dan Mazur

Latest News From Our Everest Basecamp Trek: All members reached Everest Basecamp and are now trekking back down the valley. Today they reached Pangboche Village at 3900 metres / 12,800 feet. they plan to trek down to Lukla and fly back to KTM in a few days

Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur: Island Peak team went to Dingboche @ 4400 m / 14500 ft on a sunny day. Back to top

Yaks in deep snow at Ama Dablam basecamp. Mark van 't Hof photo. Team practicing abseiling fixed lines above basecamp, seen in left side of photo. James Barritt Photo. Back to top

One monkey grooms another at the Monkey Temple in KTM. Photo by Maggie Noodle. Shoppers in Kathmandu. Photo by Maggie Noodle.

The eyes of the Monkey Temple in KTM. Photo by Maggie Noodle. Tiny red berries sprinkled by dew along the trail to Everest base camp. Maggie Noodle Photo.

14 October -

Rest day at Namche (3740m.), Mt. Kailash Lodge 14 October, 2013 Namche, centre of Sherpa land for traders (also from Tibet), sellers, trekkers and climbers. We arrived yesterday with rain and mist. It’s still raining now on Monday afternoon.

But that brings you to new adventures. I found myself back last night at a snooker table in Café Danphe Bar – Rock, Blues & Beer. Dan and other fellows of the trek invited me to play and with the push of music of Rolling Stones and a can of Tuborg, whilst I had my first attempt of playing snooker. My name is Mark from Holland (NL, together with my brother Leonard who brings me to base camp) and I’m here for that free standing mountain Ama Dablam, the Matterhorn of Nepal (famous Swiss Mountain, Google on both and see the similarities). With me for this summit are also Saz (UK), Tim (Aus), Jim (UK), Maggie (Aus, UK). With different backgrounds we’re already sharing our adventures of climbing and what we expect of Ama Dablam, ’Lady with Necklace’.

Together with members that have an eye on Island Peak or on Everest Base camp we are 16 in total, from a variety of countries including the above as well as India, Thailand and United States. That gives us stories to tell in the sitting end dining room of our Lodge overlooked by a poster of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, like in most Tibetan houses in and outside Tibet.

The weather forecast has our special attention of course. It tells us (likewww.mountain-forecast.compeaksAma-Dablam ) that there will be rain tomorrow, but not so much as today. On Wednesday, when we all walk together from Pangboche to base camp Ama Dablam the rain should be finished. But as it is said, expectations of weather are right or wrong 50 percent of the time. So you can choose what you want to believe. Back to top

13 October -

Phakding to Namche Bazaar - 13 October, 2013 Early breakfast and 8 am start under overcast skies. What began as a warm but cloudy day turned into a light rain by late morning increasing to steady downpour by noon. Some were better prepared for the unrelenting rain which made rocks slippery and sent rivulets of muddy water down the trail. We didn’t understand why Dan showed us his umbrella when talking about the equipment to take with us. But after this day we all know why and will look for our own one in Namche. Back to top

Rosemary and David typing the blog. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo. Dee Haberern enjoying a good book and a warm sleeping bag. Photo by Ron Haberern.

Mark Mossholder and Sangeeta Sindhi walking on the Everest Trail. Keith Bailey Photo. Sangeeta meets a family along the path to Everest basecamp. Photo by Tile Nuru Sherpa.

Team on the path in Jorsalle. Photo by Ron Haberern.Zopkioks being loaded. Keith Bailey Photo.

Lisa and Dee on the suspension bridge. Keith Bailey Photo. Waterfall on the Everest Trail. Photo by Keith Bailey.Mark and Maggie having a natter in a teahouse in Lukla. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo.

Dee Haberern treats her water with a Steripen. Ron Haberern Photo. Hillary and Tenzing summit Everest. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo.Trekkers on a suspension bridge on the trail to Everest. Photo by Ron and Dee Haberern.

Carved prayer stone beside a table and chair along the Everest Basecamp Trek. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo. Waterfalls and grist mills along the trail to Everest. Photo by Ron and Dee Haberern.

12 October -

Leaving Kathmandu, 12 October, 2013 Everyone up for a 6:30 am breakfast, and 7a.m. departure for the airport.Traffic very light – it’s the Nepalese holiday, called Dashain, where everyone goes home for many days ,perhaps months of celebration; so the airport was a picture of chaos. According to Island Peak team member Sangeeta Sindhi, in Nepal it is called Dashain, but In India it is termed as Dusserah where Good overcomes the evil . The story goes back to the King of Ayodhya, Dasarath who had 3 wives and four sons, namely Ram, Bharat , Shatrughan and Laxman. Kaushalaya was the first wife of the king whose son Ram was the heir to the throne. His favorite queen Kakeyi wanted her son Bharat to ascend the throne. One day , to please his queen the king promised that her son Bharat would ascend the throne. He banished his eldest son Ram to the jungle for 14 years. His wife Sita and younger brother Laxman accompanied him. During Ram’s stay in the jungles, the king of Ceylon Raavan abducted his wife Sita and kept her confined to his palace in Srilanka. His two brothers helped the king to keep Sita in the palace .To win back his queen, Ram fought many battles and killed the ten headed king Raavan, by piercing a poised arrow into his navel. Dusserah is celebrated by burning an effigy of Raavan and his two brothers all over India. It is to celebrate the good that has overcome the evil each year.

Back to the trek: airplanes are so small (only 8 seat each) that the team had to take 2 planes. The first took off about noon with an American pilot who assured us the weather in Lukla was perfect for flying and landing.(often it’s not) Beautiful views of Everest from the left side of the plane. Landing in Lukla 35 minutes later felt a bit like threading the eye of a needle. It’s built on the side of the mountain so the hillside seemed alarmingly close when landing - quite exciting. After a 90 minute wait for the rest of the team – and the luggage - to arrive we had a leisurely lunch.

After sorting thru the luggage before it got loaded on the yaks - everyone took off only to be stopped ½ hour later at a checkpoint. Another wait (these checkposts occur at regular intervals we found) everyone took off once again along a beautiful rocky and rugged trail interspersed with tiny villages which took us down from Lukla, dropping 200 metres / 600 feet. By now it was mid-afternoon and the completion times due to the differet pace levels varied by a few hours. Couldn’t be done without the wonderful help and support of the Sherpas. Wonderful hot dinner and an early night for all.Back to top

Zopkioks on the trail in Lukla. Ron and Dee Haberern Photo. Porter carrying a load of kitchen equipment. Photo by Ron and Dee Haberern.

Plane takes off from Lukla. Control tower on right. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo.Shopping on the streets of Lukla. Keith Bailey Photo